


Can We Hug Now?

by summerprincess (notjustalittlegirl)



Series: Football Fridays/Soccer Saturdays [7]
Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Dialogue Heavy, Gen, Heart-to-Heart, Hurt/Comfort, Sibling Love, Sibling Rivalry, Sisters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-10-20 23:27:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20683691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notjustalittlegirl/pseuds/summerprincess
Summary: She only wished that winning didn't mean her sister losing.Based on the September 17th game between the Dash and Courage where Sam converted a PK resulting from Kristie fouling Crystal.





	Can We Hug Now?

**Author's Note:**

> YOOOOO the Ref from this game was so shitty, and the only bright spot was Aly Wagner and the dude commentating with her totally dragging him.
> 
> I felt really fucking bad for Kristie after this match- she looked so sad. So, I wrote this in about two hours after the game- oops, I guess I'll be a zombie at my 8:30 class.

Her team had clinched a spot in the playoffs. She had scored the goal- she had gotten to be the hero. Yet, somehow, the victory had left a bad taste in her mouth. 

Her teammates kept patting her on the back, but the smiles that Sam was giving them were automatic, disinterested, as she scanned the field for orange jerseys, searching for the one that she needed to find. 

Her eyes locked on Rachel, talking with the Dash coach. The Englishwoman gave Sam a nod, and then tilted her head towards the right. Sam gave Rachel the first real smile she had given anyone since the game ended, then raced off in the indicated direction. 

Her sister was talking to Kealia, but the third woman patted Kristie on the shoulder and ran off after Jane when she saw Sam approaching in her navy jersey. 

The younger Mewis didn't hesitate before pulling her shorter sister into her arms. 

"I love you," whispered the elder, but Sam's heart clenched as her sister stiffened, not fully returning the embrace. The message was clear: Kristie may love her, but she definitely didn't want to talk to her right now. 

Although Sam wasn't quite ready to let go of her sister, she did. 

"Call me," she said, before running back to join the rest of the team in the autograph line. "Please."

Kristie nodded, and when Sam looked back over her shoulder, she had to stop herself from returning to her sister's side at the sight of Kristie burying her head in her hands, clearly trying to hold back tears. 

* * *

Kristie stared at the ceiling, counting the bumps. She didn't know what time it was, but it was either very late or very early. Even though Sofia had agreed to switch rooms with her tonight, allowing her to sleep curled up against Rachel's chest, she still couldn't sleep. 

She couldn't stop thinking about the game. She had managed to stop herself from really crying so far, though the fact that she even wanted to cry made her feel even worse. She didn't cry after losses- but this one was different. Because this one was Sam. 

Kristie bit her trembling lip, remembering how sad her little sister had looked when she realized that Kristie didn't want her comfort. She knew that Sam had probably been expecting her to call her earlier- hell, she had been begging for her to call. 

And she hadn't. Fuck. 

Reaching for her phone, Kristie plugged in the passcode (definitely _not _Rachel's birthday) and opened her messages. Surprisingly, Sam hadn't texted her- the ball was firmly in Kristie's court now. 

_Kris, 2:33 AM: Hey, are you awake?_

She wasn't surprised when Sam responded almost right away- neither of them could ever sleep when something was bothering them. 

_Baby Sis, 2:34 AM: Yeah, hi. how are you?_

_Kris, 2:34 AM: ok ig. i'm sorry._

_Baby Sis, 2:35 AM: Can i call you?_

Rachel sent a thumbs up, and went out into the hall so that she didn't wake her sleeping girlfriend. Her phone was ringing as soon as the door closed behind her, and she picked up without hesitation.

"Hey, Sammy," she said. "You should be sleeping."

Sam laughed lightly. 

"You're one to talk."

"I am still your big sister."

An awkward silence fell over the phone, and Kristie knew that Sam didn't want to be the one to break it. But, she couldn't quite think of what to say. 

"Where's your hotel?"

The question surprised Kristie, but she gave her sister the address anyway. Over the phone, she could hear the jingle of Sam's keys, and the engine of her car. 

"I'll be there in fifteen."

Sam hung up- safe driving, after all- and Kristie swore to herself. Re-entering the room, she grabbed a sweatshirt and a pair of leggings, gave a slumbering Rachel a kiss on the forehead, and went down to the pickup circle to wait for her little sister. 

Sam pulled in, and Kristie pulled open the passenger door, buckling her seat belt as her sister pushing the pedal down.

"So," she asked after a minute. "Where are we going?" 

Sam shrugged. 

"Does it matter?"

Kristie shook her head, and they drove.

They ended up in the parking lot of a 24-Hour McDonald's, each sipping on a hot chocolate and leaning back in their seats.

"So," said Sam. "You ready to talk?"

Kristie nodded, tapping her Birkenstocks nervously against the floor of Sam's car. 

"I... I'm sorry, Sammy."

"You don't have to be sorry for anything, Kris. You didn't do anything wrong."

"You... You just wanted to help," she said. "And I was... I didn't..."

Sam cut her off, tossing her head over to look at her older sister. 

"Really," she said. "It's okay. You're upset, and I don't blame you. Even I have to admit that was a shitty call."

Kristie nodded, taking another sip of her cocoa.

"Yeah, it really was."

"And," continued Sam. "I get why you didn't want to talk to me- I scored on a PK from a foul that you didn't commit." 

She had gotten straight to the point. That was it, really. The reason this loss was killing her more than any other that the Dash had suffered this season. 

She hadn't fouled Crystal, not in any way that would warrant the whistle- especially after all the things that the ref had let go earlier in the match. And, when she had seen who was stepping up to take the PK, she had wanted to scream. Because why, _of all the people on the field, _did it have to be her little sister who took it? 

It was supposed to have been the Courage winning and the Dash losing- but it wasn't that. It was Sam winning, which meant Kristie losing. 

"Yeah," she said. "That was pretty much it. Of all people, why you?"

Sam shrugged. 

"I don't really know. I just... Are you still mad at me?"

Kristie shook her head, the weak streetlight in the McDonald's parking lot illuminating her resigned face. 

"I don't think I was ever really mad at you. You wanted to win, and you played a good game. I can't be mad at you for that."

Sam sighed in relief, but an undertone of sadness crept into her voice.

"I... I just wish me winning didn't mean you losing."

"Yeah," said Kristie. "Me, too."

The weak streetlight illuminated her face, eyes shining with the tears that she hadn't let herself shed. 

"So," said her sister, smiling now. "Can we hug now?"

Kristie laughed, putting her cocoa in the cupholder so she could wrap her arms around her little sister. The tears broke lose, but it didn't matter here, in this McDonald's parking lot at three in the morning, with the one person who would always have her back.

"I'm proud of you, Sammy," she whispered.

"I'm proud of you, too, Kris," said Sam.

"I'll bet I'm prouder," she laughed into Sam's shoulder. 

Once a competition, always a competition. 

**Author's Note:**

> I just needed to write this- my older sister brain wouldn't let me rest until I did. Also, the Mewis sisters are so underrated, just a PSA.


End file.
